Men and Women
by for you to notice
Summary: Brooke? We’re good as friends, right?” “Yeah, Lucas. We’re good friends.” “No. I mean, I know, but are we good as friends?


_Very short one shot. Post 'Nothing Left to Say but Goodbye.' I'm working out a real, non one shot story in my head, so keep your eyes open for that. Brooke and Lucas try to be friends. Enjoy and happy thanksgiving._

"She looked so perfect in that green dress; what was I _supposed_ to do?" Lucas mumbled, crashinghis head into his arms on the bar.

"She did look pretty hot."

"I know, right? But now... we have to _be_ together. And it's not right. It's so much fun getting there, but then to actually be there? To actually... kiss her goodbye before practice and hold her hand in the halls... it's weird. It wasn't weird with us, was it? It wasn't."

"No." Brooke ducked her head. Maybe getting him drunk wasn't the friendliest thing to do, but listening to him complain about Peyton without actually naming her sober wasn't much better.

"And she's so great, and she's... got a body that just keeps going, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." Brooke swirled her finger around her second shot of vodka.

"I _know_. How many of these have you had?" he asked as he downed his eighth.

"A couple less than you," she smiled. He laughed out loud.

"What do you think, Brooke? We're good as friends, right?"

"Yeah, Lucas. We're good friends."

"_No_. I mean, I know; but are we good _as_ friends? Brooke, I just... I've been friends with Peyton. For a long time. But the last time I was friends with you, I wanted to kiss you."

"Well, that was a year ago, Lucas. Things've changed you know?"

"I don't know. And that's the problem."

"Well, you don't want to kiss me _now_, do you?"

"No. Well, maybe."

"No maybes. First instinct's usually the right one."

"All my instincts are telling me that you're... pretty when I'm drunk."

"Thanks Lucas." She shook her head and took the shot.

"You know. Both times, when I was with you, Peyton was the one who kissed me."

"No, actually, I didn't know."

"Well, she was. The first time, I was gonna walk her to the car, but she _kissed_ me instead, so I didn't."

"Oh."

"That doesn't make it any better."

"Not really."

"Well, both times, _she_ kissed me."

"Okay, Lucas."

"But right now, _I_ want to kiss you."

"No you don't, remember?"

He shook his head and hunched his shoulders. "But I do. Why else are we here? You remember this place? I kissed you _right over there_." He pointed behind him, nearly toppling himself over in the process.

"I remember." She put his hand on his back to steady him.

"So why'd you take me here?"

"You needed to get drunk. I'm just supervising to make sure you don't run off with any baby mamas."

"I needed to get drunk. I was driving myself insane."

"I know."

"Was I driving you insane?"

"Sometimes."

"Peyton said she loved me. We hadn't even dated _ever_, but she said she was in love with me."

"She's been in love with you for a while."

"Isn't that kinda weird? She's only ever been my friend, but she's still in love with me."

"You guys have acted like more than friends for a long time."

"But we were still friends."

"Whatever you say, Lucas."

"You and I were never friends. Men and women like us can't be friends."

"We're friends now."

"The last time we were friends, I wanted..."

"Lucas, I've heard it."

"Oh. Right." He emptied another glass in front of him. "Brooke, I lied."

She shook her head. "What do you mean, Lucas?"

"I mean that you're pretty all the time. Not just when you give me... shots." He gestured with his hands toward the bar in front of him.

"Thank you, Lucas."

"You're really pretty. Even when you just come out of the shower, when you used to stay in a pink towel when we ate breakfast and sometimes you'd forget to hold it because you were kissing me to wake me up. Especially then, actually."

She nodded and looked down at her hands.

"And when I was reading my book and you'd come in the back door and sit on my stomach and arch your head over my book and you'd read it out loud to me and I'd always say it was annoying, but I just want to kiss you. And then you'd kiss me and it was better than any book so I'd kiss you back, because I really want to kiss you. And then we'd have to be quiet so my mom wouldn't hear, but I really just wanted you there so I could kiss you."

"Okay, Lucas."

"No, I'm serious. Brooke, I... hate being friends with you."

"That's not a very nice thing to say."

"No, but it is. Because whenever I'm friends with you, I like you _so_ much, because you're so pretty."

"That's not good either, Lucas. Just because I'm pretty..."

"_No_, you don't _get _it. You're so pretty, but you're so nice too. And you're fun. Peyton never takes me to drink _vodka_."

"That's because there's better things you guys could be doing."

"I'd rather be doing them with you."

"No, you wouldn't."

"Don't tell me what I think, Brooke, because I know I want to kiss you."

"Okay, Lucas."

"Okay?"

"No, not okay, it's just... maybe you should stop." She held her arm out in front of him, separating himself from the glasses still in front of him.

"I thought you thought I needed to get drunk."

"I think you're drunk enough."

"Me too. But not enough that I forget about how you used to suck on my ear just so you wouldn't have to kiss me, because you knew that was what I wanted. Kinda like now. Why aren't you sucking on my ear now, Brooke? You know I want to kiss you."

"It's not my job to suck on your ear, Lucas."

"No, it's not your _job_. But I want you to."

"Maybe we should get you home."

"Will you come with me?"

"I'll bring you there, but I think you need to get to sleep."

"Peyton's going to be mad, because I was with you. She says it scares her, because she loves me."

"I'll talk to Peyton."

"Are you going to tell her about how I wanted you to suck on my ear?"

"No. You shouldn't tell her either. Because it's not the truth, and you shouldn't lie to your girlfriend."

"Peyton's my girlfriend."

"I know."

"When you were my girlfriend, Peyton kissed me."

"I remember."

"So why don't you kiss me?"

"Because it would be wrong, Lucas."

"But Peyton did it."

"And it was wrong then. I wouldn't do that to anyone."

"But she did it to you."

"And it killed me."

"Because you liked me."

"Yup."

"Don't you like me anymore?"

"I like you as a friend. That's why we're friends."

"I like you like I want to kiss you."

"Stop saying that."

"But it's true."

"You need to stop doing this in general, Lucas. I don't know if you have some kind of a problem, but when you're with someone, you shouldn't be kissing anybody else."

"Like I did when I hurt you."

"Right."

"I'm sorry, Brooke."

"I'm sorry too."

"Sorry for what? That we couldn't work it out? That we're not together anymore? Because that's what I'm sorry for. And I'm sorry that I hurt you."

"I know, Lucas."

"So do you think if I hadn't kissed... wait, _Peyton_ hadn't kissed _me_, do you think we'd still be together?"

"Maybe, Lucas."

"Right now? We'd be together if I, Peyton hadn't kissed me?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"I wish I wasn't with Peyton."

Brooke closed her mouth and shook her head. Lucas was breathing pretty heavily, but he was keeping his mouth closed too.

"You don't really."

"But I do. Because when I'm with Peyton, it means you don't want to be with me."

"You need to stop hurting people, Lucas. You say you're sorry for hurting me, but then you basically say you want to hurt Peyton."

"Because I love you, Brooke."

"I love you too, Lucas."

"I'm _in_ love with you, Brooke."

"You said you wanted to be friends."

"I lied. I'm sorry. I'm a bad person."

"So fix it."

"Fix what?"

"Being a bad person. Be a good boyfriend; be a good son; be a good brother; be a good basketball player."

"But while I'm being all of this, what are you going to be thinking about me?"

"I'm going to be thinking you're being a good friend too."

"I can be a good friend."

"I know you can."

"Not with you though."

"That's not true."

"I think so."

"Lucas, don't argue with me. Let's just get you home."

"Will you kiss me?"

"Maybe if we can get you home."

"Really?"

"We'll see."

He stood up quickly, his hands on his hips. She took hold of his arm and pulled him out of the bar. She sat him down in the passenger seat of his car and buckled him in. He didn't say anything as they were driving home; instead, he rested his head on his hand against the window.

She took his arm and pulled it around her shoulders as they walked up to his black door. She opened it and sat him down on his bed.

"Good night, Lucas."

"I thought you said you were going to kiss me."

"I said maybe."

"Please?" he asked softly, looking up to her with glossy eyes.

She sighed and leaned down, resting her lips against his cheekbone. His skin was warm, either that or her mouth was cold. His eyes were gently closed. She stood back up and brushed his hair off his forehead.

"Good night, Lucas. Go to sleep."

"Good night, Brooke. Thank you."

"Sure." She smiled and walked away, pausing as she felt the cold air coming through the door. "Lucas?"

"Mmm?"

"We _can_ be friends. We're just going to have to try."

"I love you, Brooke."

She nodded as she walked out the door. "I know."


End file.
